Wrapping apparatus



April 6, 1965 w. KLAMP WRAPPING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed D90. 29, 1960 INVENTOR. v MAL/AM KLAMP BY ,0

I I TmRNEY$ April 6, 1965 w. KLAMP 3,176,443

WRAP BI NG APPARATUS Filed D60. 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. W/u lAM/(LAMP Afro/Mays 3,17 6,443 WRAPPltNG APPARATUS William Klamp, Rocky River, Ohio, assignor to Cleveland- Detroit Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 79,253 3 Claims. (Cl. 53-390) The present invention relates to wrapping apparatus and, particularly, to wrapping tables for wrapping packages with thermoplastic sheetlike material which is sealed by heating.

It has become common practice to Wrap items with a thermoplastic wrapping material which can be heated to form a seal which fastens the wrapping material about the item. Commonly, the item to be packaged, such as grocery produce, is placed in a tray, the thermoplastic Wrapping material wrapped around the top and sides of the United States Patent tray and the material folded under the bottom of thetray and fastened by setting the tray and wrapping on a hot plate to heat the thermoplastic wrapping material to form a bond.

Generally, the wrapping material is a roll which, for space reasons, is disposed rearwardly of the table surface on which the wrapping is done. The wrapping material is generally stored in a roll of material in strip form and when an item is to be wrapped, the wrapping material is drawn from the roll forwardly across the wrapping table, the item to be wrapped placed on the wrapping material, the wrapping material wrapped around the article and folded underneath the bottom thereof on the side thereof remote from the worker and the portion required for the wrap then severed from the strip and fastened to secure the wrapping on the item.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that when wrapping an item by the described method, the

means that the item to be wrapped must be placed on the wrapping table a considerable distance away from the worker doing the wrapping rather than at a position immediately adjacent the front edge of the table. Furthermore, if the worker has not pulled sufficient material from the material supply prior to positioning the item, or if the worker places the item to be wrapped too close to the leading edge of the material, and the wrapping operation has started, the shortage of material will become apparent when the Worker attempts to fold the wrapping material over the far edge of the item and then downwardly and under the item to be packaged. When the shortage becomes apparent, the start of the wrapping operation must be undone, the item lifted, the wrapping pulled to provide the necessary length and the item again repositioned on the wrapping, and the wrapping operation again initiated. Furthermore, even if the worker has pulled sulficient material from the storage and merely incorrectly positioned the item on the wrapping prior to the start of the wrapping operation so that there is insufiicient material between the item and the leading edge of the wrapping material to provide the necessary wrap, and this becomes apparent after the wrapping operation has been started, it will be necessary to undo the start and reposition the article on the wrapping material.

Thedescribed method and apparatus for providing a Wrapping table with a storage of wrapping material is not satisfactory for many high-speed wrapping operations. For example, foodstuffs to be wrapped are commonly conveyed by a conveyor to a Wrapping position where the wrapper takes the foodstuif, which is generally a tray, from the conveyor and wraps the foodstuff in the manner described. The faster the wrapping operation by the worker, the faster the packaging line will operate and the faster that foodstuifs can be supplied by the conveyor. In addition to requiring considerable time when a mistake in the initial positioning of the item with respect to the wrapping material has occurred, the described wrapping table and method require the Worker to lean over the front edge of the table. In applications where the item is being wrapped with a thermoplastic material which is then sealed to complete the packaging, a heat-sealing element, generally in the form of a hot plate, is disposed intermediate the worker and the wrapping table per se and the Worker must lean over this element to position and wrap the item. Consequently, it is undesirable to make it necessary for the worker to reach toward the rear of the table to start the wrapping operation, since this requires the worker to stretch over the hot plate, and increases the possibility of accidental contact therewith. In any case, the described wrapping apparatus requires a wrapping table of sufiicient length to accommodate the length of wrap to be used and also requires the worker to pull the wrapping material before placing the item on the table.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved wrapping apparatus including a table surface and a supply of wrapping material disposed rearwardly of the surface and in which the item to be wrapped can be initially placed adjacent the front edge of the wrapping table and which does not require a wrapping table of extended length.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved wrapping apparatus in which the wrapping material can be pulled to draw additional wrapping material from a storage disposed rearwardly of the wrapping surface without requiring the repositioning of the item to be wrapped even though the Wrapping operation has been started.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved wrapping apparatus including a table surface on which the wrapping is done and wherein a heat-sealing element is disposed between the worker and the surface upon which the wrapping takes place, and in which the possibility of accidental contact with the heat-sealing element during the wrapping operation is minimized.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a Wrapping apparatus which enables a decrease in the time required to wrap a package.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof made with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the present specification and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wrapping table embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a modification of one of the elements of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 illustrate the steps in the wrapping operation.

In accordance with the present invention, a wrapping apparatus is provided wherein sheet material is supplied to the front edge of a Wrapping table from a storage disposed rearwardly of the table and in such a manner that the wrapping material does not move across the table surface upon which the wrapping isdone. The wrapping material in the storage is so supported and the table is so constructed that the wrapping material can be pulled upwardlyffrom the front edge of the wrapping table to a 7 position above the table and. forwardly toward the operator so that thenmaterial may, be pulledover a cutoff,

device disposed forwardly of the wrappingsurface per se.

'In the preferred form of the invention, the wrapping apparatus is adaptedfor use with' thermoplastie wrapping;

material, and a heat-sealing element is disposed forwardly ofthectitofidevice, V ,4 i, Referrin'g to the drawings; the wrapping apparatus: enibodying thepresentjnvention is shown-as comprising side;

plates 10, 11 and a-bottom plate 12 which carry the parts of'the wrapping apparatus and provide a unitary-structure V which can bereadily'movedfrom one location to another.

1 The Wrapping apparatus includes a pairof horizontally spaced rollers 14, 15 disposed adjacent therearend'of the apparatus, the right-hand 'side'as-the latter is viewed iu FIG. l,,' an'd, adapted to support a roll of wrapping ma-- 'er stands adjacent the forward side, i.e. left-hand as viewed in'FIG. 1,' of the apparatus. and the article to be wrapped,- which is illustrated'as a tray in FIG; 1, is

placed on the table portion 27. The leading edge of the 'wrapping'material is then picked up so that the forward portion of the material is approximatelyin the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 1,] and if. the worker feels .that suflicientawrap is available, the wrapping material "is wrapped around the far side of the tray from the worker preparatory to the foldingthereof to a position underneath the -tray,-as shown in FIG. 1. If the available wrapping material is short, the operator need only move the'leading edge of the material away from'thetray and terial 16. The rollers 14, 15are fixed to shafts which are Y journaled in'the, side plates 10,.11 so, thata'swrappir'lgv material ispulled from the roll 16, the rollers 14, 15 will rotate to allow rotation of the roll16. j

The wrapping material is shown as thermoplastic wrapv portlon ,27 when the 'wrappmg pull'on the leading edge of the, material topull' more "material from the roll 16 against the tensioning provided 7 by the roller 20.1 No repositioning of the tray isInecess'ary. The bridge 26 can} be moved along the top edges of the sides of the plates 10 and 11 toposition the tray in the most convenient position for the worker, and the tray can be placed adjacent the forward edge of the table operationis initiated, without interfering with .thewrapping' operation.

It will he noted that since the tray is put into position ping materialwhichis to be used forwrapping grocery w produce and the material is pulled from the top of the 'roll 16 and is led downwardly underneath a perforating I, roll 17 rotatably supported between theside'plates 10,

11. The perforating roll has projections ,18. thereon which perforate-the thermoplastic .wrappir'lg material as I it passes, around the rol1'17 The wrappingmaterial is then led upwardly frorn' the 'peiforatingroll 17 and overal idler roller 7-19 auda cooperating 'tensionin'g roller 20; The ro1lers'19, 20 are; rotatably supportediby the side plates 10, -11, and the upper side of the roller 35. of the side plates 10, 11. Thetensio'ning roller20 is sup.- 1

19 is at approximately the samejle'vel as the'top'edge ported for limited movement'towardj and away from'the idler roller and, is urged. into en'gagemen'twith the'latter by a spring 20a. .From the roller 19,, thewrap ingmaterial is led forwardly over ta'plate 21 extending between the side plates 10, 11 and having an upper surfacelflush with the top edges of the platestlt), 11. .Therpla'te 21 provides a fsupport for the wrapping rnaterial adjacent the front side of the apparatus.

Disposed immediately forward of the plate 21 and supported. between the side plates 10, 11 adjacent the top,thereof; is a spring 22, and

immediately forward of the spring 22 is a cutoff wire 23.,

The purpose of the spring 22 and the be explained in more detail hereinafter. f

7 The side plates 10, ll'iterminate short of the forward edgeofthe bottom plate 12'and a hot plate 24jis supported on the forward portionfof the bottom plate 12 '7 .and has a generally flat heating surface 25 whichhas an inclination with respect to the horizontal and which is slightly below the level of the cutoff wire 23. v r v The item to be wrapped is placed on, a bridgemem'ber I 26 which includes a table portion27 that is parallel to cutoif wire 23'will terial oif the:cutotf wire.

before the wraplis pulled, the length of wrap pulled can be such' asto extend over the cutoflf wire 23 if extended nstraigl'tt forwardly jsin'cethe worker has'two'hands avail- ,able to hold it upwardly. If the wr-ap had "to be pulled and the item then placed on the wrap, the worker would only have one hand. at the'mos't to handle the Wrap while placing the item to be wrapped on the wrapping material and ifthe needed le'ngt-h 'extended'over the cutofi wire, it might accidentally bes wereda Furthermore, "there are times when the worker needs both hands available to handle the item to be wrapped.

the table p'ortion'and roll 16'to stretch the wrapping material against the tension provided bythe tensioning roller 2t) and to'rnove the item being packaged and the wrapping material over the'cutolfwire 23 (FIG. 5). The cutoff wire 23 is a heated wireand need only t-ouch the thermoplastic material to. sever theniateriail. Preferably, the I spring'22 is a lit-tle above, the level ofthe cutoff wire 23 and when the strip unaterial isjsevered'by the cutoif wire 23, thespringjwill flip the leading. edges of the strip ma- V I m It will benoted'that the tensioning provided @by the tensioning roller 20. willcause the leading edge to shrink back from'theout-olf wire after it is severed. [After the wrappingmate-rial is severed, the

package is setbottom own on the'hot plate-24, to seal the thermoplastic material. V i g 7 I At times, tan-item to be wrapped is to be placed on a single fiat'sheet of. cardboard without sides. If the item to be wr apped is comprised ota plurality of oranges or and spaced aboveflthe plate 21. The table portiontl'].

extends across the plate/21 and between the-side plates 10, 11 and is supported-in a position above the plate 21.

by depending portions 28, 30 which depend'frorn the opr. posite. endsof the tableportion 27 and which have their' lower ends reversibly b'ent'toprovide shoulders 31 [which extend inwardly from each of theportion s I28, 30 and which are adapted to rest on the top edges of the side plates 11), 11 t0 support the bridge member 26. -It will be noted that the inwardly extending shoulders 31 are disposed intermediate the upper and'lower .ends of the portions 2B, .30 so that the portions 28, 30 extend downwardly'along'the outer sides of the plates 10, 11 to provide a secure, support for the table and that the bridge is removable.

Whenvin nse,'the wrappingmaterial .is normallyposi similar produce, it'is desirable to provide some means to sfaeilitate the keeping of the item on the cardboard. To

this end, a bridge 26a, of .s'li'ghtly ditterent construction than the bridge 26, is shown in FIG. 2 and is provided with guides 35 36. The guides 35, 36 comprise Z-shaped members whichare slidably mounted on the table portion 27a for movement toward and awayfrom each other. EaehZ-shaped member includes a horizontal portion 38 "WhlC hTeSiS onthe table portion and extends across the widthof the table portion, as v-iewed'in FIG, 1a vertical portion 39 r'ising from themoutboard side of the horizontal portion'38, and a horizontal flange 40'extendingoutwardly tioned where its leading edge isiadjacent the cutoff wire 7 23 and the'material is resting on' the plate 21. The workfrom the top of the vertical portion 39. I Each guide memberf35j36 is adjustably connected, to the table, portion 27a' by a pair of *bolts 41which pass through the flange 40 of the member and which extend through elongated slots 42 in the table portion. The bolts 41 arealso received by bushings 43,disposed between the flange 40 and the top of the table portion 27a. The elongated slots 42 extend parallel to the front edge of the table portion 27a and accommodate sliding movement of the guide members toward and away from each other. Any item or items to be wrapped are placed on a single fiat sheet of cardboard. The guide members are then adjusted to accommodate the width of the cardboard between the vertical port-ions 39 thereof so that the vertical portions form vertical rising sides to accommodate the wrapping operation.

From the foregoing, it Will be understood that the present invention provides a new and improved apparatus for use by a worker in wrapping packages and that the apparatus decreases the number of steps usually involved in similar wrapping operations, facilitates the obtaining of more wrapping material if the first length selected is too short, and minimizes the possibility of accidental burning of the worker in a wrapping operation where a heat-sealing element is disposed between the worker and the Wrapping table. While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in considerable detail, it is hereby my intention to cover all constructions, modifications, and arrangements which fall Within the ability of those skilled in the art and within the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A wrapping apparatus comprising a plate-like sheet supporting structure for supporting a sheet of plastic wrapping material, means adjacent one side of said structure for supporting a roll of plastic sheet material adapted to be drawn from said roll across said structure, a table above said structure for supporting a package to be wrapped, said structure guiding said wrapping material under said table to the side of said structure opposite to said one side, a severing device having an uppermost portion for severing plastic sheet material moved thereagainst disposed adjacent the side of said structure opposite to one side but below the level of said table and outwardly of said structure, said apparatus having an open area above said sheet supporting structure and from said table outwardly beyond said opposite side of said sheet supporting structure and above said uppermost portion whereby sheet material on said sheet supporting structure may be moved from under said table upwardly and outwardly from said sheet supporting structure on the side thereof remote from said one side over but clear of said severing device and over a package on said table and then downwardly into contact with said sheet severing device.

2. A wrapping apparatus comprising a plate-like sheet supporting structure for supporting a sheet of plastic wrapping material, means adjacent one side of said structure for supporting a roll of plastic sheet material adapted to be drawn from said roll across said structure, a table above said structure for supporting a package to be wrapped, said structure guiding said wrapping material under said table to the side of said structure opposite to said one side, a severing device having an uppermost portion for severing plastic sheet material moved thereagainst disposed adjacent the side of said structure opposite to said one side but below the level of said table and outwardly of said structure, said apparatus having an open area above said sheet supporting structure and from said table outwardly beyond said opposite side of said sheet supporting structure and above said uppermost portion whereby sheet material on said sheet supporting structure may be moved from under said table upwardly and outwardly from said sheet supporting structure on the side thereof remote from said one side over but clear of said severing device and over a package on said table and then downwardly into contact with said sheet severing device, and a sealing device having an upper heated surface for sealing disposed outwardly of and below said severing device.

3. A wrapping apparatus comprising a plate-like sheet supporting structure for supporting a sheet of plastic wrapping material, means adjacent one side of said structure for supporting a roll of plastic sheet material adapted to be drawn from said roll across said structure, a table removably supported above said structure, said structure guiding said wrapping material under said table to the side of said structure opposite to said one side, a severing device having an uppermost portion for severing plastic sheet material moved thereagainst disposed adjacent the side of said structure opposite to said one side but below the level of said table and outwardly of said structure, said apparatus having an open area above said sheet supporting structure and from said table outwardly beyond said opposite side of said sheet supporting structure and above said uppermost portion whereby sheet material on said sheet supporting structure may be moved from under said table upwardly and outwardly from said sheet supporting structure on the side thereof remote from said one side over but clear of said severing device and over a package on said table and then downwardly into contact with said sheet severing device, said table having laterally adjustable vertical walls extending generally perpendicular to said sides.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 24,396 11/57 Rurnsey 53-390X 1,946,569 2/34 Clark 53-33 2,655,776 10/53 Bennett 53-33 X 2,819,574 1/58 Maust 53-390 X 2,842,910 7/58 Reed 53-390 X 2,889,672 6/59 Anderson 53-390 X 2,974,458 3/61 Muskat et a1 53-390 X 2,978,851 4/61 Smith 53-33 2,987,864 6/ 61 Miller 53-390 3,035,381 5/62 Hosso 53-390X FRANK E. BAILEY, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT A. LEIGHEY, TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE,

Examiners, 

1. A WRAPPING APPARATUS COMPRISING A PLATE-LIKE SHEET SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING A SHEET OF PLASTIC WRAPPING MATERIAL, MEANS ADJACENT ONE SIDE OF SAID STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING A ROLL OF PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL ADAPTED TO BE DRAWN FROM SAID ROLL ACROSS SAID STRUCTURE, A TABLE ABOVE SAID STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING A PACKAGE TO BE WRAPPED, SAID STRUCTURE GUIDING SAID WRAPPING MATERIAL UNDER SAID TABLE TO THE SIDE OF SAID STRUCTURE OPPOSITE TO SAID ONE SIDE, A SEVERING DEVICE HAVING AN UPPERMOST PORTION FOR SEVERING PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL MOVED THEREAGAINST DISPOSED ADJACENT THE SIDE OF SAID STRUCTURE OPPOSITE TO ONE SIDE BUT BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID TABLE AND OUTWARDLY OF SAID STRUCTURE, SAID APPARATUS HAVING AN OPEN AREA ABOVE SAID SHEET SUPPORTING STRUCTURE AND FROM SAID TABLE OUTWARDLY BEYOND SAID OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID SHEET SUPPORTING STRUCTURE AND ABOVE SAID UPPERMOST PORTION WHEREBY SHEET MATERIAL ON SAID SHEET SUPPORTING STRUCTURE MAY BE MOVED FROM UNDER SAID TABLE UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SHEET SUPPORTING STRUCTURE ON THE SIDE THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID ONE SIDE OVER BUT CLEAR OF SAID SEVERING DEVICE AND OVER A PACKAGE ON SAID TABLE AND THEN DOWNWARDLY INTO CONTACT WITH SAID SHEET SEVERING DEVICE. 